1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally concerned with holsters for the nozzle components of medical/dental suction devices such as so-called Yankauer® suction tubes. Use of these holsters serves to maintain aseptic conditions and convenient human hand access to such suction devices during medical/dental procedures. Applicants' invention is particularly concerned with: (1) use of a universal strap (a strap capable of snugly fitting around any bedrail or like object, no matter what its size or cross sectional configuration) and (2) use of a latch mechanism having a bendable (or rotatable) lever arm that terminates in a pawl which cooperates with a groove system on the universal strap and (3) use of a hole in a forward surface of the holster body to pinch a flexible suction hose that leads to the suction tube so that the partial vacuum conditions that exist in the hose can be, on a temporary basis, substantially curtailed or completely cut off.
2. Discussion of the Background
A wide variety of medical/dental suction nozzle holsters are disclosed in the patent literature. Such holsters have many different features that perform various distinct technical functions as well as various convenience-in-use functions. These convenience-in-use functions often involve the use of special mechanical devices to attach such nozzle holsters to a bedrail or operating table rail or similar object for ease and/or convenience of use during medical/dental procedures wherein the medical/dental practitioners attention is often urgently directed away from such holsters. These prior art suction nozzle holsters have for example employed so-called C-clamps, alligator jaw devices, Velcro® strips and the like to attach a holster to an operating table, bed, etc. Other known holster attachment devices use nub and groove systems to hold a holster, and hence the nozzle held in it, in one of three distinct operating positions.
However, none of these prior art medical suction nozzle holsters provide a strap that is capable of snugly fitting equally well over and around bedrails having rectangular, round or square cross sectional configurations or readily engaging and disengaging with a latch that forms a part of the holster body and thereby creating a more snug abutment between the holster and the bedrail relative to those abutments that can be achieved using straps having belt buckle type tightening devices wherein one end of a strap attaches to the other end of that strap. A brief review of the prior art is as follows.
U.S. Patent Publication No. US 200710057129 A1 (“the '7129 patent publication”) teaches a suction nozzle holster capable of three distinct operating positions. These three positions are made possible through selective use of two main holster mounting components. The first component is a holster mounting mechanism that further comprises a rear plate having an elongated groove for receiving an elongated nub. The second component is a mounting channel. The face side of this mounting channel is provided with three separate and distinct key plate/key nub systems. Each of these key plate/key nub systems may be readily inserted into (or removed from) the keyway slot/nub receiver opening system located in the rear plate of the holster mounting mechanism. This holster also features an upper rim that is provided with a V-shaped notch into which a suction hose can be forced in order to constrict the hose and, hence, curtail the vacuum conditions in a Yankauer® type suction nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,768 (“the '768 patent”) teaches a suction tube retaining and disposal container. It comprises: (1) a mounting board that can be inserted between a mattress and frame of a hospital bed, (2) a disposable bag and (3) a second board having an aperture into which a bent over portion of a flexible suction tube can be inserted in order to stop any liquid flow out of an open end of the flexible suction tube.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0192064 A1 (“the '2064 patent publication”) teaches a suction nozzle holster capable of three operating positions. These three positions are made possible through selective use of two main holster mounting components. The first component is a holster mounting mechanism that further comprises a rear plate having a groove for receiving a nub. The second component is a mounting channel. The face side of this mounting channel is provided with three separate and distinct key plate/key nub systems. Each of these key plate/key nub systems may be readily inserted into (or removed from) the keyway slot/nub receiver opening system located in the rear plate of the holster mounting mechanism. U.S. Design Pat. No. 541,933 S teaches the same nozzle holster.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0194507 A1 (“the 4506 patent publication”) teaches use of a suction nozzle holster that employs an array of individually usable sterile sacs.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 282,684 (“the '684 patent”) teaches a cup for an electrosurgical cautery pencil. The cup is mounted (e.g., to a wall) by use of a horizontal slot.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 231,031 (“the '031 patent”) teaches an active cautery electrode holder that is mounted by use of a horizontally extending plate.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 500,703 S (“the '703 patent”) teaches a flower bouquet holder having a U-shaped holder device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,327 (“the '327 patent”) teaches a holder for an attendant (e.g., nurse) signaling device. The device is held to a bedrail by a pair of resilient C-clamp members.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D 533,343 S (“the '343 patents”) teaches a tool sheath that has an inverted “U” shaped attachment device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,551 (“the '551 patent”) teaches a surface-mounted apparatus for holding a hand-held instrument (such as a suction nozzle) when not in use. This apparatus has an elongated cylindrical shell having a longitudinal slot for receiving the hand-held instrument and a mounting plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,199 (“the '199 patent”) teaches an apparatus for clamping cables in rows and columns between rigid bars having a plurality of slots. Flexible plastic straps having teeth along their lengths cooperate with teeth in the slots of the bars to form a ratcheting lock device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,755 (“the '755 patent”) teaches a fluid drainage bag having a flap valve in a fold. The fold is held open by means of a flexible drainage tube held in a flexed position between the fold and the upper end of the bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,452 (“the '452 patent”) teaches a harness clip having a band that continuously extends from a front face of a flange portion of said harness clip. The band is further provided with a plurality of projections (e.g., nubs on the top surface of the band) that function as stops when engaged with a pair of stopper claws and with a lock piece.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,856 (“the '856 patent”) teaches a cable mount having a strap having a row of teeth disposed along its inner surface. A locking pawl is formed within a strap-receiving opening. It engages with a given tooth of the row of teeth on the strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,234 (“the '234 patent”) teaches a cup for an electrosurgical pencil. The cup is attached to a surgical drape by means of a drape clamp.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,897 (“the '897 patent”) discloses a drain bag support assembly having a yoke that further comprises a strap that goes around a bedrail. The attachment means comprises opposed notches 24 that extend transversely from the longitudinal edges of the strap. The notches engage the edges of an opening in the drain bag support.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,047 (“the '047 patent”) teaches a support clamp for bundles of wire or hydraulic lines. It further comprises a strap having lateral teeth on one side. The strap is integral with a head having an opening for receiving the strap. A further component of the head is a resiliently pivotable element having teeth that engage with the teeth on the strap to create a clamping effect.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,564 (“the '564 patent”) teaches an apparatus for winding a strand into a multilayered package.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,110 B1 (“the '110 patent”) teaches a holster for an electrocautery tip. The holster is attached to an operating table, Mayo instrument table, etc. by a temporary attachment means such as a spring-loaded, wide-base C-clamp (see FIGS. 4a and 4b) or a releasable clip (see FIG. 4). U.S. Design Pat. No. 324,104 teaches the same device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,286 (“the '286 patent”) discloses a cleaning and storage device for an aspirator instrument such as a Yankauer suction tube. The device has a holder that can be attached to a bedrail by opposing adhesive surfaces or by a C-shaped clamp.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,822 (“the '822 patent”) discloses a wall mounted holder for a Yankauer suction instrument. The holder has a base and two spaced supports respectively extending substantially horizontally from the upper end of the vertically mounted base and from the lower end of said base. The upper support may comprise, for example, a continuous rim that forms an annular ring that defines an opening for receiving the forward end of a suction instrument and thereby preventing it from tipping laterally. The lower support preferably has two spaced support arms that define a substantially horizontal slot. In effect an upper end of the suction device resides in the ring while the handle portion of the suction device rests on the support arms above the slot while a suction hose portion of the suction device extends through the horizontal slot defined by the two spaced apart support arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,074 (“the '074 patent”) discloses a sleeve-type holder for a suction device such as a Yankauer suction tube. One end of a sleeve component of this holder is provided with a frame that can be slidably mounted to a C-shaped frame track having a compatible C-shaped channel configuration. The opposing end of the sleeve is provided with a hole for receiving a hook of a body member bar. The body member bar is attached to a clamp that attaches the bar, frame and sleeve assembly to a bedrail.
The teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,974 (“the '974 patent”) are quite similar to those of the '074 patent. It does, however, contain the added feature (see FIGS. 10 and 11) of providing the frame with a dovetail side that is inserted into a dovetail track (i.e., dovetail-shaped channel).
The teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,963 (“the '963 patent”) are similar to those of the '974 patent. The main difference between these two patent references is depicted in FIGS. 17 and 18 of the '963 patent. They show a frame-like member hingedly mounted to a mounting plate. This plate is fixedly mounted to a clamp that is, in turn, slidably mounted to a bedrail or similar bar-like object.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,679 (“the '679 patent”) teaches a holster for a hand-held instrument such as an intake nozzle of an operating room suction device. The '679 patent suggests several ways the holster may be attached to an operating table (see FIGS. 1, 4 and 5). These ways include: (a) blade-like inserts for placement between table tops and cushions, alligator clamps and C-clamps having hand operable tightening/loosening bolts. This holster is adapted to hold a bubble wrap in which the suction device was originally packaged. The suction tip is holstered in this original package during use. The nozzle holster also is adapted to secure the bubble wrap to the inside of the holster. After the operation is over, the wrapper and nozzle are disposed of and a new nozzle-containing wrapper (e.g., clear plastic bag) is put in the holster.